Baked apples

8 apples (I used fuji)
Juice of one lemon
1/3 - 1/2 cup malitol brown
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
Approximately 6-8 teaspoons sf maple syrup (I think I had Josephs on hand...from netrition)
1 cup apple juice, NSA

Preheat oven to 400

Peel a small strip of skin off from around the whole  top of each apple.
Core each apple, do not go all the way through the bottom, so the filling stays in!
After coring each apple, squeeze some lemon juice into the core and on the peeled section to prevent early browning before baking....
In a small bowl, combine malitol brown and cinnamon
Sprinkle about an 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture into each cored apple
Now add the chopped pecans to the rest of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture,  tossing to coat the pecans
Spoon the pecan/cinnamon/sugar mixture into the hole in the apples.  Probably about 1-2 tablespoons in each apple, this will vary depending on the size of the apples and how much you cored each apple.
Pour in about 1 tsp of maple syrup on top of the pecan mixture, in the core of each apple.
Place the apples into a large baking dish, add one cup of NSA apple juice to the bottom of the pan.  Cover with foil, and bake for about 1hr or until desired "consistency" of the apples is reached and the brown sugar and syrup have melted together to make a wonderfully sticky mess :)  (I pulled them out when a sharp steak knife was easily inserted into the middle of the apple)

Serve warm.  They are GREAT by themselves but would probably be absolutely frigging fabulous with a scoop of NSA ice cream or something on top.  MMMMM

Variation (Weigh****chers Style)

6 Apples (Cored)

1 Can Diet Orange or any fruit flavored soda

6 tsp of cinnamon (Sprinkle on top after soda)

Pre Heat Oven to 400 degrees, place apples in a baking dish, cover with soda, bake for up to 1 1/2 hour or until puckered and soft.  The soda becomes a carmelized glaze.  Best served with a serving of F/F Ricotta or Plain.  I prefer mine with Cottage Cheese while its still hot.

Thanks Pam & Nan, Just been thinking about this sort of treat this past week, so now I can go and make some this evening. . .  easy enough recipes and with ricotta added, makes for a nice breakfast. . .